How the Bible Became Holy

Over the past 2,000 years, people have killed and died for the Bible, and it continues to exercise a powerful if contested role in modern politics. Yet how did it achieve this power? This course will trace the development of both the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) and the New Testament, from their origins to their status of foundational texts of Judaism and Christianity. The focus will be on how Jews and early Christians throughout antiquity understood and ascribed authority to the Bible. No prior knowledge necessary.